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The Huntress/FBI Thrillers #4
Bitter Moon
FBI agent Matthew Roarke has been on leave, and in seclusion, since the capture of mass killer Cara Lindstrom—the victim turned avenger who preys on predators. Torn between devotion to the law and a powerful attraction to Cara and her lethal brand of justice, Roarke has retreated from both to search his soul. But Cara’s escape from custody and a police detective’s cryptic challenge soon draw him out of exile—into the California desert and deep into Cara’s past—to probe an unsolved murder that could be the key to her long and deadly career.
Following young Cara’s trail, Roarke uncovers a horrifying attack on a schoolgirl, the shocking suicide of another, and a human monster stalking Cara’s old high school. Separated by sixteen years, crossing paths in the present and past, Roarke and fourteen-year-old Cara must race to find and stop the sadistic sexual predator before more young women are brutalized.
Following young Cara’s trail, Roarke uncovers a horrifying attack on a schoolgirl, the shocking suicide of another, and a human monster stalking Cara’s old high school. Separated by sixteen years, crossing paths in the present and past, Roarke and fourteen-year-old Cara must race to find and stop the sadistic sexual predator before more young women are brutalized.
465 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2016
569 people are currently reading
896 people want to read
About the author
Alexandra Sokoloff
37 books988 followersI'm the Thriller Award-winning and Bram Stoker and Anthony Award-nominated author of the bestselling and very feminist HUNTRESS MOON thrillers: Huntress Moon, Blood Moon, Cold Moon. Bitter Moon, Hunger Moon, Shadow Moon and the supernatural thrillers The Harrowing, The Price, Book of Shadows, The Unseen, The Space Between. The New York Times Book Review has called me "a daughter of Mary Shelley" and my novels "some of the most original and freshly unnerving work in the genre."
I'm a California native and a graduate of U.C. Berkeley, where I majored in theater and minored in everything that Berkeley has a reputation for. After college I moved to Los Angeles, where I made an interesting living doing novel adaptations and selling original thriller scripts to various Hollywood studios.
Now I (mostly!) live in Scotland with my Scottish crime-writing husband, Craig Robertson. We've just written a new mystery/thriller series together — and we're still married and haven't killed each other! LOST HIGHWAY will be out in 2026.
My HUNTRESS MOON series follows a haunted FBI agent on the hunt for a female serial killer, which means I can smash hated genre cliches and kill a lot of men who need to be killed.
In my paranormal and supernatural thrillers, I like to cross the possibility of the supernatural with very real life explanations for any strangeness going on, and base the action squarely in fact. THE UNSEEN is based on real paranormal research conducted at the Duke University parapsychology lab, and BOOK OF SHADOWS teams a Boston homicide detective and a practicing Salem witch in a race to solve what may be a Satanic killing. THE SPACE BETWEEN is an edgy supernatural YA about a troubled high school girl who is having dreams of a terrible massacre at her school, and becomes convinced that she can prevent the shooting if she can unravel the dream.
My non-fiction workbooks SCREENWRITING TRICKS FOR AUTHORS and WRITING LOVE, based on my internationally acclaimed workshops and blog, have helped writers of all levels all over the world finish their books and find agents and book deals. https://alexandrasokoloff.substack.com/
When I'm not writing I travel and I dance: jazz, ballet, salsa, Lindy, swing - I do it all, every chance I get.
Join the mailing list (and receive a FREE short story from the SHATTERING GLASS anthology!):
https://authoralexandrasokoloff.subst... -
Connect with me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexandra.so...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexandraso...
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/alexsokoloff...
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@alexandrasok...
Substack: https://alexandrasokoloff.substack.com -
Read more about the books! http://alexandrasokoloff.com
I'm a California native and a graduate of U.C. Berkeley, where I majored in theater and minored in everything that Berkeley has a reputation for. After college I moved to Los Angeles, where I made an interesting living doing novel adaptations and selling original thriller scripts to various Hollywood studios.
Now I (mostly!) live in Scotland with my Scottish crime-writing husband, Craig Robertson. We've just written a new mystery/thriller series together — and we're still married and haven't killed each other! LOST HIGHWAY will be out in 2026.
My HUNTRESS MOON series follows a haunted FBI agent on the hunt for a female serial killer, which means I can smash hated genre cliches and kill a lot of men who need to be killed.
In my paranormal and supernatural thrillers, I like to cross the possibility of the supernatural with very real life explanations for any strangeness going on, and base the action squarely in fact. THE UNSEEN is based on real paranormal research conducted at the Duke University parapsychology lab, and BOOK OF SHADOWS teams a Boston homicide detective and a practicing Salem witch in a race to solve what may be a Satanic killing. THE SPACE BETWEEN is an edgy supernatural YA about a troubled high school girl who is having dreams of a terrible massacre at her school, and becomes convinced that she can prevent the shooting if she can unravel the dream.
My non-fiction workbooks SCREENWRITING TRICKS FOR AUTHORS and WRITING LOVE, based on my internationally acclaimed workshops and blog, have helped writers of all levels all over the world finish their books and find agents and book deals. https://alexandrasokoloff.substack.com/
When I'm not writing I travel and I dance: jazz, ballet, salsa, Lindy, swing - I do it all, every chance I get.
Join the mailing list (and receive a FREE short story from the SHATTERING GLASS anthology!):
https://authoralexandrasokoloff.subst... -
Connect with me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexandra.so...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexandraso...
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/alexsokoloff...
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@alexandrasok...
Substack: https://alexandrasokoloff.substack.com -
Read more about the books! http://alexandrasokoloff.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 249 reviews
March 10, 2018
Alexandra Sokoloff continues her superb high quality writing in book #4 of the outstanding Huntress Moon series. The series continues to revolve around child trafficking, FBI agent Matthew Roarke, and vigilante mass murderess Cara Lindstrom. Once again, these books must be read in order; the whole series encompasses only 5 months.
Roarke has finally lost it after the tumultuous events of book #3. He has taken leave from the FBI to try to find himself. Hindering his efforts to recover is his continued complex obsession with Cara and her mission. Bitter Moon is organized in a most alluring manner. We have alternating chapters featuring Cara sixteen years previous at age 14, and Roarke in real time driven to investigate a cold case involving the same 14-year-old Cara. As Roarke researches the case, Cara plays it out. I loved this unique presentation of the story.
Along the way, Roarke comes to some sort of, I wouldn’t say closure, but a better understanding of Cara, which relieves him of the unhealthy part of his obsession with her. I liked the way the story pulled me along and just wouldn’t let go. I especially enjoyed Roarke’s introspection and his working relationship with Mother Doctor, a very wise nun who knew the teenage Cara. It was satisfying to see some of the seemingly impossible things Cara was speculated to pull off in previous books played out retrospectively in a realistic fashion.
The conclusion of the story is highly satisfying, and I found myself eager to move on to book 5. Again, the characters are the draw in this series. Yes, the plot is most definitely first class, but the characters are the heart and the engine of these stories. I’ve come to feel deeply connected to both Roarke and Cara. Bravo, Ms. Sokoloff, for a simply brilliant set of novels.
Roarke has finally lost it after the tumultuous events of book #3. He has taken leave from the FBI to try to find himself. Hindering his efforts to recover is his continued complex obsession with Cara and her mission. Bitter Moon is organized in a most alluring manner. We have alternating chapters featuring Cara sixteen years previous at age 14, and Roarke in real time driven to investigate a cold case involving the same 14-year-old Cara. As Roarke researches the case, Cara plays it out. I loved this unique presentation of the story.
Along the way, Roarke comes to some sort of, I wouldn’t say closure, but a better understanding of Cara, which relieves him of the unhealthy part of his obsession with her. I liked the way the story pulled me along and just wouldn’t let go. I especially enjoyed Roarke’s introspection and his working relationship with Mother Doctor, a very wise nun who knew the teenage Cara. It was satisfying to see some of the seemingly impossible things Cara was speculated to pull off in previous books played out retrospectively in a realistic fashion.
The conclusion of the story is highly satisfying, and I found myself eager to move on to book 5. Again, the characters are the draw in this series. Yes, the plot is most definitely first class, but the characters are the heart and the engine of these stories. I’ve come to feel deeply connected to both Roarke and Cara. Bravo, Ms. Sokoloff, for a simply brilliant set of novels.
February 5, 2021
5 Fear or Be Feared Stars
* * * * * Spoiler Free
THIS IS THE BEST SERIES, Limited Time Only 99 CENTS!!!
In our lives... from the very beginning, there are events we experience which impact us adding to who we become. There have been many theories on Nature vs Nurture and I would never presume to know all of the concepts or arguments regarding this subject. However, I do believe the difference between a loving environment, a childhood free of name-calling, bullying, and violence would tilt the scale in the child's favor... And conversely, a child exposed to the ultimate horror of mass murder would come out of it with a heightened sense of evil around her...An understanding of what ugliness in people feels like...and be cautious and aware at all times.
Compound this early life experience and add in unfortunate treatment while in the Foster System and in Group Homes, the built-in vulnerability of these Wards of the State, and you have a recipe for the creation of a woman who has realized her purpose...
Alexandra Sokoloff created such a woman in the mass killer, Cara Lindstrom...and in this latest entry to The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, we go forward with FBI agent Matthew Roarke and back to the past...discovering where it all came together for Cara...
This book should be read-only after you have experienced the previous ones in the series. This has been one of the most compelling and engaging series I have read recently. It will take you on a complete journey; the premise and stories are fully formed...but there is more to it than just the plots...There are additional elements of "What Do You Believe"...Do you believe in more than what is in front of your eyes...what you can touch and taste...Do you believe in the concept of pure evil which can inhabit anyone as IT ...As a force which is all the ugliness in this world.. which festers and grows in those of us who have the capacity to harm, maim, rape, torture, and kill...
In this entry, it picks up a few weeks after the last book, Cold Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers #3).
Roarke has been on leave from the Bureau. He needs to step away...his last interaction with Cara Lindstrom has shaken him to his core. It has made him question many of the rules he has lived by all his life. He is not finding any relief or clarity...Cara is still haunting him...and voice mails being left by a Sheriff Ortiz taunting him of how Cara disappeared causes, Roarke, to go to the place of Cara's childhood...and where this angry, vitriol spewing law enforcement officer works and resides.
We are given two complete stories... both doing a dance ... one leading the way while the other follows in the same footsteps separated by time...This is done with Roarke's POV in the present and Cara's in the past. Roarke's destiny, awakened by his time, attraction, and innate understanding of what this vigilante killer is focused on... cause him to not turn away when pieces of the past...point the way to current and possible future crimes to come.
He finds threads...like the stray one on a sweater which is hiding in a seam...the one that catches and you pull a bit, thinking it will break off and that will be it...Only for it to pull just enough for you to think maybe if you use more force it will break...But it doesn't... causing the fabric to buckle and pleat...creating something you never intended...
This is what happens in the present for Roarke...His need for answers brings him to more discoveries...to seeing the horror Cara experienced sixteen years ago...seeing the possibility of this being her "Ground Zero"...setting her on her path as the "Avenging Angel" of sorts...
While Roarke is working to find the monsters from the past in the present, we are with Cara every step of the way in her present, when she first was 12 and then 14. This highly intelligent, budding teen has lived a life no one should...But she is incredibly strong, resourceful and has this sixth sense of when IT is near...when IT has invaded and done things ... when IT is chasing after her...for she is able to KNOW IT.... SEE IT...
This story is fiction. Yet, with all of the atrocities we read, see in the media and know of from those around us...this story is not so far away from Non-Fiction...All you need to do is scan different news sources and their crime pages. There you will read about a 2-year-old left alone for over 90 minutes because the parents were more interested in playing Poke'mon Go (http://time.com/4435814/pokemon-go-ar...) or about a child in the backseat of the car while the parents shoot up and nod out on Heroin. (The article too graphic as all had video or photo.) My point is with each of these situations, it is the child who will suffer ... from the initial circumstance...but also by being part of a system where so many times, bad things can happen...
Disclaimer-The Foster System and all those who work so hard to make a difference for those in it... has worked. The system has provided for countless children and families; individuals have been able to accomplish their life's goals and succeed. This review is not a statement bashing this important safety net; only highlighting what was presented in this work of fiction.
This book shows all the ugly...but it also has a message to Not Turn Away... Alexandra Sokoloff is someone who may talk the talk... but she also walks the walk. In her acknowledgments, she thanks all of the officials and professionals who assisted with facts, procedures, and laws...but what was even more important was her sharing her work with organizations that helps those who were given a voice through this series. She contributes financially and offers us the appropriate information on how to make a difference ... to step up and help... whether it is volunteering, contributing financially, or to be a safe haven for someone...(This is from her website - http://axsokoloff.blogspot.com/2016/1...)
What is the most thrilling when reading Sokoloff is her crafting, her ability to have us accept all she has presented, and our willingness to believe...to believe there is evil but that the good in all of us is something IT fears.
I have not shared all of the important characters in this book. The secondary characters all contribute and are never just thrown in for filler. These books have a special feel when reading them... and I lost sleep because it was necessary for me to finish. I love when that happens.
The series has been optioned for television. I, for one, cannot wait. With Sokoloff's past experience
as a screenwriter working with numerous Hollywood studios (Sony, Fox, Disney, Miramax), for producers such as Michael Bay, David Heyman, Laura Ziskin, and Neal Moritz, I can only imagine how amazing this series could be. Hollywood...make it happen.
The Huntress series takes place over six months in the present and in multiple timelines in the past. Shadow Moon is a culmination of those characters and storylines and it is strongly recommended that the series be read in order.
Huntress Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Blood Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #2)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Cold Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #3)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Bitter Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #4)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Hunger Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #5)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Shadow Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers #6)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~~
June 6, 2015
Remember when you would look up to the stars and make a wish...
Well, after finishing the amazing Huntress/FBI Thriller series by Alexandra Sokoloff, all I could do is howl at the moon willing her to continue it somehow...
Ms. Sokoloff heard all of us fans...
Not only is Bitter Moon coming but a television series is in the works!
I may have to experience 6 full moons until I get my Huntress Read...but at least I know it is coming....
Bitter Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #4) November 2016
A gifted copy was provided by Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
* * * * * Spoiler Free
THIS IS THE BEST SERIES, Limited Time Only 99 CENTS!!!
In our lives... from the very beginning, there are events we experience which impact us adding to who we become. There have been many theories on Nature vs Nurture and I would never presume to know all of the concepts or arguments regarding this subject. However, I do believe the difference between a loving environment, a childhood free of name-calling, bullying, and violence would tilt the scale in the child's favor... And conversely, a child exposed to the ultimate horror of mass murder would come out of it with a heightened sense of evil around her...An understanding of what ugliness in people feels like...and be cautious and aware at all times.
Compound this early life experience and add in unfortunate treatment while in the Foster System and in Group Homes, the built-in vulnerability of these Wards of the State, and you have a recipe for the creation of a woman who has realized her purpose...
Alexandra Sokoloff created such a woman in the mass killer, Cara Lindstrom...and in this latest entry to The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, we go forward with FBI agent Matthew Roarke and back to the past...discovering where it all came together for Cara...
This book should be read-only after you have experienced the previous ones in the series. This has been one of the most compelling and engaging series I have read recently. It will take you on a complete journey; the premise and stories are fully formed...but there is more to it than just the plots...There are additional elements of "What Do You Believe"...Do you believe in more than what is in front of your eyes...what you can touch and taste...Do you believe in the concept of pure evil which can inhabit anyone as IT ...As a force which is all the ugliness in this world.. which festers and grows in those of us who have the capacity to harm, maim, rape, torture, and kill...
In this entry, it picks up a few weeks after the last book, Cold Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers #3).
Roarke has been on leave from the Bureau. He needs to step away...his last interaction with Cara Lindstrom has shaken him to his core. It has made him question many of the rules he has lived by all his life. He is not finding any relief or clarity...Cara is still haunting him...and voice mails being left by a Sheriff Ortiz taunting him of how Cara disappeared causes, Roarke, to go to the place of Cara's childhood...and where this angry, vitriol spewing law enforcement officer works and resides.
We are given two complete stories... both doing a dance ... one leading the way while the other follows in the same footsteps separated by time...This is done with Roarke's POV in the present and Cara's in the past. Roarke's destiny, awakened by his time, attraction, and innate understanding of what this vigilante killer is focused on... cause him to not turn away when pieces of the past...point the way to current and possible future crimes to come.
He finds threads...like the stray one on a sweater which is hiding in a seam...the one that catches and you pull a bit, thinking it will break off and that will be it...Only for it to pull just enough for you to think maybe if you use more force it will break...But it doesn't... causing the fabric to buckle and pleat...creating something you never intended...
This is what happens in the present for Roarke...His need for answers brings him to more discoveries...to seeing the horror Cara experienced sixteen years ago...seeing the possibility of this being her "Ground Zero"...setting her on her path as the "Avenging Angel" of sorts...
While Roarke is working to find the monsters from the past in the present, we are with Cara every step of the way in her present, when she first was 12 and then 14. This highly intelligent, budding teen has lived a life no one should...But she is incredibly strong, resourceful and has this sixth sense of when IT is near...when IT has invaded and done things ... when IT is chasing after her...for she is able to KNOW IT.... SEE IT...
This story is fiction. Yet, with all of the atrocities we read, see in the media and know of from those around us...this story is not so far away from Non-Fiction...All you need to do is scan different news sources and their crime pages. There you will read about a 2-year-old left alone for over 90 minutes because the parents were more interested in playing Poke'mon Go (http://time.com/4435814/pokemon-go-ar...) or about a child in the backseat of the car while the parents shoot up and nod out on Heroin. (The article too graphic as all had video or photo.) My point is with each of these situations, it is the child who will suffer ... from the initial circumstance...but also by being part of a system where so many times, bad things can happen...
Disclaimer-The Foster System and all those who work so hard to make a difference for those in it... has worked. The system has provided for countless children and families; individuals have been able to accomplish their life's goals and succeed. This review is not a statement bashing this important safety net; only highlighting what was presented in this work of fiction.
This book shows all the ugly...but it also has a message to Not Turn Away... Alexandra Sokoloff is someone who may talk the talk... but she also walks the walk. In her acknowledgments, she thanks all of the officials and professionals who assisted with facts, procedures, and laws...but what was even more important was her sharing her work with organizations that helps those who were given a voice through this series. She contributes financially and offers us the appropriate information on how to make a difference ... to step up and help... whether it is volunteering, contributing financially, or to be a safe haven for someone...(This is from her website - http://axsokoloff.blogspot.com/2016/1...)
What is the most thrilling when reading Sokoloff is her crafting, her ability to have us accept all she has presented, and our willingness to believe...to believe there is evil but that the good in all of us is something IT fears.
I have not shared all of the important characters in this book. The secondary characters all contribute and are never just thrown in for filler. These books have a special feel when reading them... and I lost sleep because it was necessary for me to finish. I love when that happens.
The series has been optioned for television. I, for one, cannot wait. With Sokoloff's past experience
as a screenwriter working with numerous Hollywood studios (Sony, Fox, Disney, Miramax), for producers such as Michael Bay, David Heyman, Laura Ziskin, and Neal Moritz, I can only imagine how amazing this series could be. Hollywood...make it happen.
The Huntress series takes place over six months in the present and in multiple timelines in the past. Shadow Moon is a culmination of those characters and storylines and it is strongly recommended that the series be read in order.
Huntress Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #1)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Blood Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #2)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Cold Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #3)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Bitter Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #4)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Hunger Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #5)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Shadow Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers #6)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~~
June 6, 2015
Remember when you would look up to the stars and make a wish...
Well, after finishing the amazing Huntress/FBI Thriller series by Alexandra Sokoloff, all I could do is howl at the moon willing her to continue it somehow...
Ms. Sokoloff heard all of us fans...
Not only is Bitter Moon coming but a television series is in the works!
I may have to experience 6 full moons until I get my Huntress Read...but at least I know it is coming....
Bitter Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers, #4) November 2016
A gifted copy was provided by Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
October 26, 2016
19/10/16
Going to review after getting some sleep, bashed through the book in 3 hours. I have no self control.
20/10/16
Ok so this book is the best of the 4. Easily. In terms of the writing, I have thought it tended towards the pulpy before, but this was sharper and cleverer. If previously it was more the idea of the character that pulled me in, now it is that and the story too. This was worth waiting for.
When I stared this series I was intrigued by having a female vigilante protagonist with a sense for evil; the blend between criminal and supernatural was just right, developed as hook that could be personal and psychological or entirely unnatural, beyond the realm of believable. Or whatever the reader chooses to see. The books get bigger and bloodier, as equals usually do, and I wondered where the author would go from there. More death? More murderers? Nope, she decided to go backwards. And she was exactly right.
In the present day, burned out, ex-Agent Roarke is drawn to a small town where Cara was sent as a teen, investigating some seriously grisly deaths that happened during that time and we flashback to Cara as a teen, find out what the hell happened to her and why she took the path we see in the earlier novels. Her voice as a young woman, her experiences within the social are system, her personal psychology, all of it is gripping and fresh. For me, I enjoyed the escape from the romantic element between her and Roarke, though the obsession he has with her is still clear. The novel worked so well for me not only because I think Sokoloff's writing gets better and better each time, both in the style and in the brilliantly worked double storyline that came to a stunning conclusion, but because I felt so much more for the youthful Cara. At this age, she's so much more understandable and therefore approachable. I thought I gave her all my support in the previous three novels but clearly there was still distance. Here, we see what happened to her, we know why, we feel it. I would bet that all of us women have felt that gaze, the way some men look at you as a teenage girl... Or even as an adult. Teenage Cara made me remember. If you asked me after reading this what it was for men to have 'It' inside them, then I could tell you because i know i've seen it. Her thoughts and actions just make Cara seem like a much tougher version of myself. And entirely justified. I finished the book without any break and at the end I was disappointed only because I wanted it to go on and on. Thanks to the author for bringing us this part of Cara.
I can't wait for the tv version and anything else the author chooses eto do in this series. It's a fantastic creation and a much needed addition to the crime genre.
Many thanks to Alexandra Sokoloff, Thomas & Mercer, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this review copy.
Going to review after getting some sleep, bashed through the book in 3 hours. I have no self control.
20/10/16
Ok so this book is the best of the 4. Easily. In terms of the writing, I have thought it tended towards the pulpy before, but this was sharper and cleverer. If previously it was more the idea of the character that pulled me in, now it is that and the story too. This was worth waiting for.
When I stared this series I was intrigued by having a female vigilante protagonist with a sense for evil; the blend between criminal and supernatural was just right, developed as hook that could be personal and psychological or entirely unnatural, beyond the realm of believable. Or whatever the reader chooses to see. The books get bigger and bloodier, as equals usually do, and I wondered where the author would go from there. More death? More murderers? Nope, she decided to go backwards. And she was exactly right.
In the present day, burned out, ex-Agent Roarke is drawn to a small town where Cara was sent as a teen, investigating some seriously grisly deaths that happened during that time and we flashback to Cara as a teen, find out what the hell happened to her and why she took the path we see in the earlier novels. Her voice as a young woman, her experiences within the social are system, her personal psychology, all of it is gripping and fresh. For me, I enjoyed the escape from the romantic element between her and Roarke, though the obsession he has with her is still clear. The novel worked so well for me not only because I think Sokoloff's writing gets better and better each time, both in the style and in the brilliantly worked double storyline that came to a stunning conclusion, but because I felt so much more for the youthful Cara. At this age, she's so much more understandable and therefore approachable. I thought I gave her all my support in the previous three novels but clearly there was still distance. Here, we see what happened to her, we know why, we feel it. I would bet that all of us women have felt that gaze, the way some men look at you as a teenage girl... Or even as an adult. Teenage Cara made me remember. If you asked me after reading this what it was for men to have 'It' inside them, then I could tell you because i know i've seen it. Her thoughts and actions just make Cara seem like a much tougher version of myself. And entirely justified. I finished the book without any break and at the end I was disappointed only because I wanted it to go on and on. Thanks to the author for bringing us this part of Cara.
I can't wait for the tv version and anything else the author chooses eto do in this series. It's a fantastic creation and a much needed addition to the crime genre.
Many thanks to Alexandra Sokoloff, Thomas & Mercer, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this review copy.
June 26, 2017
Number four in what is proving to be a superb series, each book being a little bit better than the one before.
Cara is an unusual heroine since she is an out and out killer, maybe even a vigilante. She 'sees' evil in people and when she is threatened she has no mercy. In this book we get to see her childhood and find out why she is the way she is. It makes for excellent although occasionally horrific reading.
The other main character, Roarke is FBI (in this book actually ex FBI), and he follows the path and the actions of the 14 year old Cara.
I very much enjoyed finding out what makes Cara tick and loved the fact that despite all her faults many people do appreciate the good side of her. She is totally loyal to certain individuals to the point of applying her no mercy attitude to the people who harm them as well.
Some gruesome bits, lots of murders, a fair amount of excellent police work and a brilliant story make this a must read. And guess what - the series continues!
Cara is an unusual heroine since she is an out and out killer, maybe even a vigilante. She 'sees' evil in people and when she is threatened she has no mercy. In this book we get to see her childhood and find out why she is the way she is. It makes for excellent although occasionally horrific reading.
The other main character, Roarke is FBI (in this book actually ex FBI), and he follows the path and the actions of the 14 year old Cara.
I very much enjoyed finding out what makes Cara tick and loved the fact that despite all her faults many people do appreciate the good side of her. She is totally loyal to certain individuals to the point of applying her no mercy attitude to the people who harm them as well.
Some gruesome bits, lots of murders, a fair amount of excellent police work and a brilliant story make this a must read. And guess what - the series continues!
November 1, 2017
BITTER MOON by talented author Alexandra Sokoloff, is Book IV in the Thriller Award-nominated Huntress/FBI series. Bitter Moon is the sequel to Cold Moon. These books keep getting better and better! I am hooked on this series! So good!
It is highly recommended that you read these books in sequence as the storyline continues on from where book one leaves off.
The novels in this FBI thriller series include:
Huntress Moon (Book 1) Published 2012
Blood Moon (Book2) Published 2013
Cold Moon. (Book3) Published 2015
Bitter Moon (Book4) Published 2016
Hunger Moon. (Book5) Expected Publication 2017
In Bitter Moon, we travel back to Cara’s past, when she was just fourteen, while Roarke remains in the present, and we finally have insight and clarity into the origins of the story, of Clara’s past. In the past, Clara had been sent to a group home, after she got out of prison, and now attends high school. It is here that Clara once again confronts what she calls “IT” the evil. Cara is following a path in the past, and Roarke is in the present. The two timelines are vividly developed.
FBI agent Matthew Roarke has been on leave, and in seclusion, trying to decide his future since the capture of mass killer Cara Lindstrom. But Cara’s escape from custody and a police detective’s cryptic challenge soon drags Roarke back into Cara’s past to investigate a present day mystery of a sexual predator preying on young girls.
Following young Cara’s trail, Roarke uncovers a horrifying attack on a schoolgirl, the shocking suicide of another, and a human monster stalking Cara’s old high school. Separated by sixteen years, crossing paths in the present and past, Roarke and fourteen-year-old Cara must race to find and stop the sadistic sexual predator before more young women are brutalized.
This is proving to be an excellent little series. Many thanks to the TBC reviewer request group for providing me with the ARC.
It is highly recommended that you read these books in sequence as the storyline continues on from where book one leaves off.
The novels in this FBI thriller series include:
Huntress Moon (Book 1) Published 2012
Blood Moon (Book2) Published 2013
Cold Moon. (Book3) Published 2015
Bitter Moon (Book4) Published 2016
Hunger Moon. (Book5) Expected Publication 2017
In Bitter Moon, we travel back to Cara’s past, when she was just fourteen, while Roarke remains in the present, and we finally have insight and clarity into the origins of the story, of Clara’s past. In the past, Clara had been sent to a group home, after she got out of prison, and now attends high school. It is here that Clara once again confronts what she calls “IT” the evil. Cara is following a path in the past, and Roarke is in the present. The two timelines are vividly developed.
FBI agent Matthew Roarke has been on leave, and in seclusion, trying to decide his future since the capture of mass killer Cara Lindstrom. But Cara’s escape from custody and a police detective’s cryptic challenge soon drags Roarke back into Cara’s past to investigate a present day mystery of a sexual predator preying on young girls.
Following young Cara’s trail, Roarke uncovers a horrifying attack on a schoolgirl, the shocking suicide of another, and a human monster stalking Cara’s old high school. Separated by sixteen years, crossing paths in the present and past, Roarke and fourteen-year-old Cara must race to find and stop the sadistic sexual predator before more young women are brutalized.
This is proving to be an excellent little series. Many thanks to the TBC reviewer request group for providing me with the ARC.
February 7, 2021
Cara Lindstrom is in the wind and Matt Roarke has taken leave from the FBI for awhile as he tries to get his head straight. But, he decides to start from her beginning to seek answers and it leads him to the town where she was assigned to her first group home. There is definitely something off in that place and Roarke makes it his mission to uncover the truth.
I loved how this story was told almost as much as the story itself. Roarke's investigation is chronicled in the present as Cara's is real time when she was 14-years old, fresh out of California's dreadful Youth Authority. The contrast was fascinating as the two experiences were paralleled and we learn so much more about her and those who had a profound impact on her. Even more troublesome though is the abysmal treatment of the children in the custody of the social services system and the sad state of affairs regarding rape investigations. All feature significantly in this story but the last two aren't fiction. We've much work to do here as a society. There are some vile creatures in this story but balanced by some true heroes.
I especially enjoyed seeing Roarke in action on his own, getting a strong sense of the man and agent as he finds his way. Things are not completely resolved here but he (and I) have a lot more clarity as it relates to the enigmatic Cara Lindstrom. I'm still slayed by this series and impatiently await the next book.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
I loved how this story was told almost as much as the story itself. Roarke's investigation is chronicled in the present as Cara's is real time when she was 14-years old, fresh out of California's dreadful Youth Authority. The contrast was fascinating as the two experiences were paralleled and we learn so much more about her and those who had a profound impact on her. Even more troublesome though is the abysmal treatment of the children in the custody of the social services system and the sad state of affairs regarding rape investigations. All feature significantly in this story but the last two aren't fiction. We've much work to do here as a society. There are some vile creatures in this story but balanced by some true heroes.
I especially enjoyed seeing Roarke in action on his own, getting a strong sense of the man and agent as he finds his way. Things are not completely resolved here but he (and I) have a lot more clarity as it relates to the enigmatic Cara Lindstrom. I'm still slayed by this series and impatiently await the next book.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
November 19, 2016
This is one of my “Must Read” series and I am always anxiously awaiting the next book. BITTER MOON (The Huntress/ FBI Thrillers, #4) does not disappoint! Alexandra Sokoloff has once again written an amazing plot and character study of a victim turned vigilante serial-killer and an obsessed and conflicted FBI agent balanced on the edge.
This fourth book of the series is told in alternating voices between Cara Lindstrom in the Past at age 14 and FBI Agent Matthew Roarke in the Present. In the past, Cara is sent to a group home after release from juvenile prison and as she begins to attend the local high school, she is once again confronted by her visualization and/or conception of evil she calls “It”. In the present, Roarke is on leave from his job and is trying to decide who he is and what he wants for his future. A cryptic call from a detective with unknown motives drags Roarke into Cara’s past and the still unsolved present day mystery of a sexual predator preying on young girls.
The two plot lines intertwine past and present without being confusing in any way. This in depth look at Cara’s past was extremely interesting. It was the turning point in her short life when she decides to no longer be a victim, but to actively seek out and destroy “It” in all its manifestations. Cara is one of my favorite characters. Victim, psychotic, seer, killer, predator. Every scene and situation makes me reconsider my feelings for her.
I recommend this series highly! I also feel this series should be read in order. The character evolution in both main and secondary characters grows with the series. There is graphic violence throughout the series, but I don’t feel it is ever gratuitous. Once again, waiting for the next book!
This fourth book of the series is told in alternating voices between Cara Lindstrom in the Past at age 14 and FBI Agent Matthew Roarke in the Present. In the past, Cara is sent to a group home after release from juvenile prison and as she begins to attend the local high school, she is once again confronted by her visualization and/or conception of evil she calls “It”. In the present, Roarke is on leave from his job and is trying to decide who he is and what he wants for his future. A cryptic call from a detective with unknown motives drags Roarke into Cara’s past and the still unsolved present day mystery of a sexual predator preying on young girls.
The two plot lines intertwine past and present without being confusing in any way. This in depth look at Cara’s past was extremely interesting. It was the turning point in her short life when she decides to no longer be a victim, but to actively seek out and destroy “It” in all its manifestations. Cara is one of my favorite characters. Victim, psychotic, seer, killer, predator. Every scene and situation makes me reconsider my feelings for her.
I recommend this series highly! I also feel this series should be read in order. The character evolution in both main and secondary characters grows with the series. There is graphic violence throughout the series, but I don’t feel it is ever gratuitous. Once again, waiting for the next book!
November 19, 2020
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I enjoyed this audiobook! This is the fourth book in The Huntress/FBI Thrillers series that focuses on killer Cara Lindstrom and the FBI agent on her case, Matthew Roarke, along with the rest of his team. I would recommend reading this series in order since each book builds on the events in previous books. I really had a good time with this book and couldn't wait to see how everything would work out.
The story was a little different than I expected. Not a bad kind of different - just different. So far the books in the series have been more focused on the chase to put Cara Lindstrom behind bars but in this installment, the focus is on events from Cara's teen years. I really liked the way that we see the events in this story from Cara's point of view as a teenager alternating with Agent Roarke's present-day investigation. I was really hooked by the mystery and I thought that it was eye-opening to see some of the events that helped to shape Cara.
R.C. Bray did a wonderful job with the narration of this story. I think that he does a great job of creating distinctive voices for each of the key characters in the story and is able to really bring the story to life. I thought that his voice was very pleasant and I had no problems listening to this book for hours at a time. I think that his narration added to my overall enjoyment of this story.
I would recommend this series to others. I thought that the mystery was very well done and the characters that were easy to like. I look forward to reading more of this series soon.
Initial Thoughts
This was a little different than what I expect. Not a bad kind of different - just different. In this installment, Roarke is looking into Cara's past instead of trying to capture her. I liked the way that we were able to see events both in the present with Roarke and in the past from a teenage Cara's point of view. The mystery was very interesting and kept me guessing. The narration of the audiobook was very well done. I look forward to the next installment.
Book source: Audible Purchase
I enjoyed this audiobook! This is the fourth book in The Huntress/FBI Thrillers series that focuses on killer Cara Lindstrom and the FBI agent on her case, Matthew Roarke, along with the rest of his team. I would recommend reading this series in order since each book builds on the events in previous books. I really had a good time with this book and couldn't wait to see how everything would work out.
The story was a little different than I expected. Not a bad kind of different - just different. So far the books in the series have been more focused on the chase to put Cara Lindstrom behind bars but in this installment, the focus is on events from Cara's teen years. I really liked the way that we see the events in this story from Cara's point of view as a teenager alternating with Agent Roarke's present-day investigation. I was really hooked by the mystery and I thought that it was eye-opening to see some of the events that helped to shape Cara.
R.C. Bray did a wonderful job with the narration of this story. I think that he does a great job of creating distinctive voices for each of the key characters in the story and is able to really bring the story to life. I thought that his voice was very pleasant and I had no problems listening to this book for hours at a time. I think that his narration added to my overall enjoyment of this story.
I would recommend this series to others. I thought that the mystery was very well done and the characters that were easy to like. I look forward to reading more of this series soon.
Initial Thoughts
This was a little different than what I expect. Not a bad kind of different - just different. In this installment, Roarke is looking into Cara's past instead of trying to capture her. I liked the way that we were able to see events both in the present with Roarke and in the past from a teenage Cara's point of view. The mystery was very interesting and kept me guessing. The narration of the audiobook was very well done. I look forward to the next installment.
Book source: Audible Purchase
October 6, 2018
One of the most saddest and deepest books in this series.
It tells Cara's story, when she was 14. It tells about the beginning of the fight this brave and strong girl begun.
Raw, ugly, depressive, but real.
The truth is not only love and happiness, but mostly ugliness and brutality.
My respect to Alexandra Sokoloff for bringing up the topic of rape culture in her works!
We see, we suspect, we keep silent, we do nothing, but some of us raise and fight!
The people, who care, who fight and seek out justice - are the REAL heroes und heroines in this world.
I would highly recommend this series to all readers, especially female ones, who care!
It tells Cara's story, when she was 14. It tells about the beginning of the fight this brave and strong girl begun.
Raw, ugly, depressive, but real.
The truth is not only love and happiness, but mostly ugliness and brutality.
"It is not justice. There is no justice when such things are allowed to happen. When monsters roam free in the world, and people do nothing. There will never be justice while It is allowed to live."
My respect to Alexandra Sokoloff for bringing up the topic of rape culture in her works!
We see, we suspect, we keep silent, we do nothing, but some of us raise and fight!
The people, who care, who fight and seek out justice - are the REAL heroes und heroines in this world.
"Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing."
John Stuart Mill.
I would highly recommend this series to all readers, especially female ones, who care!
December 3, 2016
I’m a HUGE fan of this series – where Alexandra Sokoloff takes the serial killer genre and turns it on its head – in Cara she has created one of the most compelling characters around in fiction anywhere. Both killer and victim Cara is unforgettable.
In previous novels we have seen her path, followed closely by the man who hunts her whilst she haunts him, Roarke in his way is just as compelling as Cara and as the mainstays of the novels their growing and changing relationship forms the heart and soul of the Huntress series.
In Bitter Moon we get a trip back to the past – Cara’s past – in a lot of ways Bitter Moon is an origins story and I loved it because it took the previous novels and gave them focus. The two timelines are both brilliantly constructed, Cara following a path in the past and Roarke repeating it in the present, the two interlinking and blimey at times it is edge of the seat stuff. Even though for Cara it is over, done, we know nothing can change, still you feel like somehow Roarke could make everything better…
I love the writing LOVE it – so absorbing, descriptively gorgeous, invoking emotional responses and creating a sense of time, place and person that in my opinion is second to none. The storyline may involve mayhem, murder and the darkest of themes but somehow it just feels less like a crime novel and more like a literary trip through the characters reality. After the end of Bitter Moon I simply cannot wait for more.
Highly Recommended.
In previous novels we have seen her path, followed closely by the man who hunts her whilst she haunts him, Roarke in his way is just as compelling as Cara and as the mainstays of the novels their growing and changing relationship forms the heart and soul of the Huntress series.
In Bitter Moon we get a trip back to the past – Cara’s past – in a lot of ways Bitter Moon is an origins story and I loved it because it took the previous novels and gave them focus. The two timelines are both brilliantly constructed, Cara following a path in the past and Roarke repeating it in the present, the two interlinking and blimey at times it is edge of the seat stuff. Even though for Cara it is over, done, we know nothing can change, still you feel like somehow Roarke could make everything better…
I love the writing LOVE it – so absorbing, descriptively gorgeous, invoking emotional responses and creating a sense of time, place and person that in my opinion is second to none. The storyline may involve mayhem, murder and the darkest of themes but somehow it just feels less like a crime novel and more like a literary trip through the characters reality. After the end of Bitter Moon I simply cannot wait for more.
Highly Recommended.
May 6, 2018
Look too long into the abyss and the abyss looks back into you.
- Friedrich Nietzsche (Page 162, Bitter Moon)
Matt Roarke is on an indefinite leave of absence following Cara Lindstrom’s release on bail and subsequent disappearance in Cold Moon. That set off a killing spree by Cara and others as a violent movement erupted against the rape culture in America and the world. In Bitter Moon, the fourth book of the series, FBI Special Agent Matthew Roarke is just Mr. Roarke. But you can’t take the investigator out of the man, and Roarke can’t leave Cara alone.
She has gotten under his skin and into his psyche. He decides that he no longer wants to find her, but he needs to find the truth. What begins as a hiatus from the turmoil of the case and a retreat to do some much-needed soul-searching turns into a quest for answers about Cara’s past.
The Bitter Moon, or Wolf Moon, is the January full moon. There is plenty of wolf symbolism in this book, and much bitterness as well. Ms Sokoloff shows us Cara’s fourteen-year-old self as she is remanded to a group home after serving two years in a youth facility for a brutal killing when she was twelve. This. This is what I’ve been waiting for, in part. Who is Cara? What happened to her after her family was slaughtered? Who did she become? We see her trying to act “normal” so as not to tip off what is really going on in her head. There are plenty of references to the moon, of course. Cara has a special affinity, I guess you could say, with the moon. She feels that it speaks to her. The Cara that is revealed to us is not what most of us would call “normal.”
Roarke, too, has learned to heed the voices of the moon, the winds, and the tides, even when he isn’t certain of the message. He does have “Blue sense”, that feeling that many cops have when something isn’t quite right, and he knows that he should pay attention to it. He understands about Cara’s “It” – Evil – even though he doesn’t sense it in people as keenly as she does. But he’s getting there, and as he follows Cara’s past, like a bloodhound on a scent, he can almost tell by the smell that he is getting closer and closer.
Roarke’s search takes him to the Mission, where he meets the marvelous nun, Mother Doctor. She is wise, kind, and definitely not naive. She met the teenage Cara and cared for another girl, Ivy, whose tragic story infuriates and enrages Roarke. She and another teen, Laura, become part of his undertaking, which, he decides, he cannot handle alone. Besides using Mother Doctor as a sounding board, he enlists the aid of Singh and the lab techs. He has suspects in mind, but he needs hard evidence. The men he is targeting need to be stopped.
Teenage Cara, amazingly, conducted her own investigation and reached the same conclusions sixteen years earlier. Even then, she was using her, what - gift? extraordinary insight? – to see and then eliminate evil. Even then, she knew that she could never eradicate “It” completely. Even so, she comes across as some sort of Wonder Woman, but now we have a better sense for who she is. For me, the question remains, how long can Cara run? How long can she keep killing, running, hiding? Sooner or later she will be caught, and I don’t see her surviving prison. And that leaves death. So what choice does she have? Will she be a martyr for her cause, or will she somehow be able to find peace within herself?
I commend Alexandra Sokoloff for calling attention to the plight of children and teens in the social services and justice system.
I look forward to the fifth book, Hunger Moon, to see what Roarke and Cara do next!
5 stars
- Friedrich Nietzsche (Page 162, Bitter Moon)
Matt Roarke is on an indefinite leave of absence following Cara Lindstrom’s release on bail and subsequent disappearance in Cold Moon. That set off a killing spree by Cara and others as a violent movement erupted against the rape culture in America and the world. In Bitter Moon, the fourth book of the series, FBI Special Agent Matthew Roarke is just Mr. Roarke. But you can’t take the investigator out of the man, and Roarke can’t leave Cara alone.
She has gotten under his skin and into his psyche. He decides that he no longer wants to find her, but he needs to find the truth. What begins as a hiatus from the turmoil of the case and a retreat to do some much-needed soul-searching turns into a quest for answers about Cara’s past.
The Bitter Moon, or Wolf Moon, is the January full moon. There is plenty of wolf symbolism in this book, and much bitterness as well. Ms Sokoloff shows us Cara’s fourteen-year-old self as she is remanded to a group home after serving two years in a youth facility for a brutal killing when she was twelve. This. This is what I’ve been waiting for, in part. Who is Cara? What happened to her after her family was slaughtered? Who did she become? We see her trying to act “normal” so as not to tip off what is really going on in her head. There are plenty of references to the moon, of course. Cara has a special affinity, I guess you could say, with the moon. She feels that it speaks to her. The Cara that is revealed to us is not what most of us would call “normal.”
Roarke, too, has learned to heed the voices of the moon, the winds, and the tides, even when he isn’t certain of the message. He does have “Blue sense”, that feeling that many cops have when something isn’t quite right, and he knows that he should pay attention to it. He understands about Cara’s “It” – Evil – even though he doesn’t sense it in people as keenly as she does. But he’s getting there, and as he follows Cara’s past, like a bloodhound on a scent, he can almost tell by the smell that he is getting closer and closer.
Roarke’s search takes him to the Mission, where he meets the marvelous nun, Mother Doctor. She is wise, kind, and definitely not naive. She met the teenage Cara and cared for another girl, Ivy, whose tragic story infuriates and enrages Roarke. She and another teen, Laura, become part of his undertaking, which, he decides, he cannot handle alone. Besides using Mother Doctor as a sounding board, he enlists the aid of Singh and the lab techs. He has suspects in mind, but he needs hard evidence. The men he is targeting need to be stopped.
Teenage Cara, amazingly, conducted her own investigation and reached the same conclusions sixteen years earlier. Even then, she was using her, what - gift? extraordinary insight? – to see and then eliminate evil. Even then, she knew that she could never eradicate “It” completely. Even so, she comes across as some sort of Wonder Woman, but now we have a better sense for who she is. For me, the question remains, how long can Cara run? How long can she keep killing, running, hiding? Sooner or later she will be caught, and I don’t see her surviving prison. And that leaves death. So what choice does she have? Will she be a martyr for her cause, or will she somehow be able to find peace within herself?
I commend Alexandra Sokoloff for calling attention to the plight of children and teens in the social services and justice system.
I look forward to the fifth book, Hunger Moon, to see what Roarke and Cara do next!
5 stars
November 25, 2018
I enjoyed this addition to this series, it flips back and forth between the present and Cara’s young life. Finding out what she had gone through as a child and young adult helps to put her adult actions into focus. Can one person truly see evil no matter how well hidden?
October 2, 2017
What a wonderful series this is proving to be and no wonder it is to become a tv series too. Book 4 departs from the other books in that it reveals so much about Cara’s past. We always knew of the terrible events in her childhood that caused her to become this fearless avenging vigilante. But only here, with the narrative telling of her past as her 12, and then 14 year old self, do we gain a full insight into all the horrors she endured. The use of the present tense in the retelling add even more tension and suspense. These chapters alternate with Roarke’s present day situation, currently suspended from the FBI, but still embroiled in Cara’s trail of revenge. I personally found this book difficult to read because of the gruesome details - but I am a wimp of huge proportions and cannot criticise the book for it - this is what has made Cara the protagonist at the heart and soul of the series, and Roarke’s unwilling admiration for her so understandable and forgivable.
Now I want to reread it all from Book 1 to truly understand what has gone before. But who am I kidding, I really have to read Book 5 first!!!
Now I want to reread it all from Book 1 to truly understand what has gone before. But who am I kidding, I really have to read Book 5 first!!!
November 7, 2017
Book 4 delves deeply into the back story of Cara Lindstrom. The reasons she became who she is. FBI agent Roarke is investigating her suspected first murder. He learns more about 'It' and the evil that exists in the world. The connection between him and Cara is getting stronger with each book.
This book was better than the third. More suspense and excitement. These books really deal with a sensitive subject. Rape, molestation & trafficking of kids. They've stirred up alot of anger but the books are SO good and entertaining! This author knows what she's doing.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to review.
This book was better than the third. More suspense and excitement. These books really deal with a sensitive subject. Rape, molestation & trafficking of kids. They've stirred up alot of anger but the books are SO good and entertaining! This author knows what she's doing.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to review.
December 15, 2020
At the beginning of the book, we find Roarke on leave from the Bureau. He is depressed and questioning his morality. In a word, he is lost. Then he gets a call from a sheriff in Palm Springs about the cold case murder of a counselor that it is assumed Cora committed when she was just 14 years old. Roarke starts looking into the events surrounding Cora at that time and uncovers other heinous crimes that point to the presence of “It”.
I like that we take a bit of a break from current day murders and go back in time instead. We get a little more backstory on Cara and some explanation of how she turned into the vigilante that she is now and the supernatural pull she feels. While not everything is explained, we have more to go on now and it seems Roarke is breaking out of his stagnant condition. He is on the cusp of making a decision and I am wondering if it will be to pursue Cara or aid her in the war against “It”.
I like that we take a bit of a break from current day murders and go back in time instead. We get a little more backstory on Cara and some explanation of how she turned into the vigilante that she is now and the supernatural pull she feels. While not everything is explained, we have more to go on now and it seems Roarke is breaking out of his stagnant condition. He is on the cusp of making a decision and I am wondering if it will be to pursue Cara or aid her in the war against “It”.
November 16, 2017
I missed Roarke and Cara. This was soo good!!
October 10, 2017
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Mystery, Thriller
*Rating* 4.0
*Thoughts*
Bitter Moon, by author Alexandra Sokoloff, is the 4th installment in The Huntress/FBI Thrillers series. This story actually takes a bit of a turn from the previous installments. This time Sokoloff alternates her story between both Cara Lindstrom and Matthew Roarke nearly equally. But, there is a twist. You see, Cara's story takes place 16 years ago, while Roarke's is in the present. So, in fairness to Cara, and the fact that readers like me were really intrigued at how it all happened, let's start with her journey first
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
*Genre* Mystery, Thriller
*Rating* 4.0
*Thoughts*
Bitter Moon, by author Alexandra Sokoloff, is the 4th installment in The Huntress/FBI Thrillers series. This story actually takes a bit of a turn from the previous installments. This time Sokoloff alternates her story between both Cara Lindstrom and Matthew Roarke nearly equally. But, there is a twist. You see, Cara's story takes place 16 years ago, while Roarke's is in the present. So, in fairness to Cara, and the fact that readers like me were really intrigued at how it all happened, let's start with her journey first
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
November 6, 2018
To my mind, it is very difficult to write a decent review of a book that is part of a series of uniform or slightly improving quality. Is this a higher five star than the three previous books in Sokoloff's The Huntress series? Well, yes, in fact it is.
The Huntress series is a chilling yet exceptionally plausible on-going story about a five year girl whose family was killed by a homicidal maniac (too meek a term for such a creature). The girl, Cara, survived although she was rather viciously slashed across the neck. Cara then lives with an aunt for a period but is turned away and winds up in the Arizona child welfare system (an interesting name considering that most in it, not limited to Arizona, couldn't care less about the welfare of the child).
Bitter Moon follows Cara through part of her time in this system. Chapters alternate between young Cara and the present day activities of the one-time FBI agent Roarke who has been on her case for several months and is quite obsessed with her. Sokoloff does a positively brilliant job of weaving Cara's late childhood experiences with Roarke's investigation, some twenty years later of the same events.
The combination of the inventiveness of the story and its characters and the brilliantly crafted parallel sequences separated by two decades, make Bitter Moon as interesting, exciting, clever and novel a novel as I have perhaps, ever read. My only regret was that I have just one more book in this series to read. BUT WAIT! In response to a question from a Goodreads member, Sokoloff has said that the TV producer who owns the small screen rights to the series, has asked her to continue beyond the original five stories.
So, I am delighted to report that I may have more than one more The Huntress books to read.
The End
The Huntress series is a chilling yet exceptionally plausible on-going story about a five year girl whose family was killed by a homicidal maniac (too meek a term for such a creature). The girl, Cara, survived although she was rather viciously slashed across the neck. Cara then lives with an aunt for a period but is turned away and winds up in the Arizona child welfare system (an interesting name considering that most in it, not limited to Arizona, couldn't care less about the welfare of the child).
Bitter Moon follows Cara through part of her time in this system. Chapters alternate between young Cara and the present day activities of the one-time FBI agent Roarke who has been on her case for several months and is quite obsessed with her. Sokoloff does a positively brilliant job of weaving Cara's late childhood experiences with Roarke's investigation, some twenty years later of the same events.
The combination of the inventiveness of the story and its characters and the brilliantly crafted parallel sequences separated by two decades, make Bitter Moon as interesting, exciting, clever and novel a novel as I have perhaps, ever read. My only regret was that I have just one more book in this series to read. BUT WAIT! In response to a question from a Goodreads member, Sokoloff has said that the TV producer who owns the small screen rights to the series, has asked her to continue beyond the original five stories.
So, I am delighted to report that I may have more than one more The Huntress books to read.
The End
October 23, 2016
For me, Bitter Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers #4) by Alexandra Sokoloff was an important book in the series. The reader is treated to a look into Cara’s past, and can’t help but come away with a better understanding of her actions. The book is made up of two intertwined stories, young Cara’s life (sixteen years earlier), and Roarke’s need to follow the clues from the past.
The jumping between the past and the present did lead to a little confusion in some sections of the story for me, but it didn’t spoil the overall story. I’m purposely not sharing any of the story details, because it’s such an insight into Cara, that the reader should discover it for themselves. Although this book will help you understand Cara better, reading the books in order will make the series more enjoyable.
Some readers may have had a childhood similar to Cara’s, one where home, never really felt like home, where love, safety, and stability weren’t part of the picture, other’s may have had the picture book upbringing and can’t imagine what it’s like to live within the social services system. Whatever your past, there is a background theme in the book, of life “in the system”, and although this is a work of fiction, sadly the theme is a reality. The Author has shared some insight in the closing pages of the book, I hope you’ll take time to read it and think about it.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley on behalf Alexandra Sokoloff, Thomas & Mercer, - publisher.
The expected publication date is Nov. 1, 2016
For me this was a 4 star read
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July 26, 2025
Audiobook - 09:09 hours - Narrator: R.C. Bray
Review to come
Review to come
January 23, 2018
I had received several books of this series and loved them so much, I binge read all three. So apt this book comes after the others. I think I got a lot more from it, because I am totally engrossed in how Cara came to be a vigilante.
In Bitter Moon, Cara relives her tragic past and it is brutal, horrifying, terrifying, and haunting. The insight into her motivation makes me see evil in its purest form. It’s no wonder she takes her revenge as a vigilante on all the users and abusers. The atrocities committed on defenseless children by family, friends, strangers, they need a guardian angel and Cara will fight to her dying breath for herself and for them.
Roarke has walked away from the FBI because of his conflicted feelings about her. He is lost, isolated, confused…As he tries to find answers for himself, Roarke tracks her past. He walks where she walked, meeting some people she knew, gaining insight. The nun simplified if for him, he is on a mission.
Can evil be drawn to a particular person? Can someone attract the bad through no fault of their own?
It is frightening and horrifying as I read of her past and know these things really happen, that the depravity of humans are going on right now. I am at a loss for words with an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness.
I love Cara and don’t know how she can have a happy ever after, but I so much want it for here. If any character I have ever read about deserves something good in her life, Cara does. She is dogged by evil, she never quits, never gives up, willing to take them out one by one.
She runs from IT, but IT follows here everywhere she goes.
Monsters are real!
Research? If half of what Alexandra Sokoloff has written about rape and trafficking, the women and children, throwaway kids, the predatory people out there is true, we should all be afraid. It may be easier to turn the other way, but you never know when EVIL might come for you.
I had wondered if there would be more, because the rest of Cara and Roarke’s story needs to be told, and I am so happy to know…there is.
There are so many great quotes, that I had to share a few of them.
“Look too long into the abyss and the abyss looks back into you.”
“Fear the wolf, or be the wolf.”
“Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” John Stuart Millshad
Alexandra Sokoloff had me wound so tight, I felt like I would explode. My emotions were all over the place and I did breathe a sigh of relief…and regret…when I was done. The characters have captured my heart and I miss them as soon as I close the ‘cover’. Stay safe everyone, I’ll be back.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Bitter Moon by Alexandra Sokoloff and these novels will be sitting on my reread shelf!!!!
fundinmental
In Bitter Moon, Cara relives her tragic past and it is brutal, horrifying, terrifying, and haunting. The insight into her motivation makes me see evil in its purest form. It’s no wonder she takes her revenge as a vigilante on all the users and abusers. The atrocities committed on defenseless children by family, friends, strangers, they need a guardian angel and Cara will fight to her dying breath for herself and for them.
Roarke has walked away from the FBI because of his conflicted feelings about her. He is lost, isolated, confused…As he tries to find answers for himself, Roarke tracks her past. He walks where she walked, meeting some people she knew, gaining insight. The nun simplified if for him, he is on a mission.
Can evil be drawn to a particular person? Can someone attract the bad through no fault of their own?
It is frightening and horrifying as I read of her past and know these things really happen, that the depravity of humans are going on right now. I am at a loss for words with an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness.
I love Cara and don’t know how she can have a happy ever after, but I so much want it for here. If any character I have ever read about deserves something good in her life, Cara does. She is dogged by evil, she never quits, never gives up, willing to take them out one by one.
She runs from IT, but IT follows here everywhere she goes.
Monsters are real!
Research? If half of what Alexandra Sokoloff has written about rape and trafficking, the women and children, throwaway kids, the predatory people out there is true, we should all be afraid. It may be easier to turn the other way, but you never know when EVIL might come for you.
I had wondered if there would be more, because the rest of Cara and Roarke’s story needs to be told, and I am so happy to know…there is.
There are so many great quotes, that I had to share a few of them.
“Look too long into the abyss and the abyss looks back into you.”
“Fear the wolf, or be the wolf.”
“Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” John Stuart Millshad
Alexandra Sokoloff had me wound so tight, I felt like I would explode. My emotions were all over the place and I did breathe a sigh of relief…and regret…when I was done. The characters have captured my heart and I miss them as soon as I close the ‘cover’. Stay safe everyone, I’ll be back.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Bitter Moon by Alexandra Sokoloff and these novels will be sitting on my reread shelf!!!!
fundinmental
April 6, 2018
Wow this was a great book. Great Narration R. C. Bray (audible review) Very addictive series!
Finally got to know how Cara grew up where she was from why she does what she does and I kind of don’t blame her. This story has lots of teenage rape victims. It’s not for people who are sensitive to certain graphic descriptions of horrific atrocities done two teenage girls.
John’s, pimps, and perverts who all get what they have coming to them. I really enjoyed this book a lot. I liked how Rourke figure it out what Cara was doing and thinking when she was a teenager and didn’t need her help in solving this early crime.
Very sad that things like this really happen in the world.
As for the narration it was great I am moving on to book 5 in this series. I highly recommend the series.
Finally got to know how Cara grew up where she was from why she does what she does and I kind of don’t blame her. This story has lots of teenage rape victims. It’s not for people who are sensitive to certain graphic descriptions of horrific atrocities done two teenage girls.
John’s, pimps, and perverts who all get what they have coming to them. I really enjoyed this book a lot. I liked how Rourke figure it out what Cara was doing and thinking when she was a teenager and didn’t need her help in solving this early crime.
Very sad that things like this really happen in the world.
As for the narration it was great I am moving on to book 5 in this series. I highly recommend the series.
September 6, 2025
This is the fourth novel of an incredible series. Just like the previous books, it delves into the ugliest parts of humankind and exposes it for what it is. It's gut wrenching, violent, unbearable at times, and triggers a lot of things if you're not careful.
The main characters are terribly complicated in their psyche, but considering their background and environment, it's a wonder they aren't the worst off. And I love them for that. The secondary characters also hold their own in an endearing way.
I had hoped that as fiction, what it depicts is worse than what's happening in real life. Unfortunately, the author blew that hope to smithereens with her "Notes" at the end of this book.
It takes courage to talk about something that most of us have no clue it even exists, or are desperately trying to ignore. It also takes tremendous courage to actually do something about it, to put a stop to it. Even if it starts with making it the plot of a novel, so as to raise public awareness. And the author has gone the extra mile to provide help where she can, as she explained at the end of this novel.
This is one series that will stay long in my mind and heart, and I haven't read it all yet.
The main characters are terribly complicated in their psyche, but considering their background and environment, it's a wonder they aren't the worst off. And I love them for that. The secondary characters also hold their own in an endearing way.
I had hoped that as fiction, what it depicts is worse than what's happening in real life. Unfortunately, the author blew that hope to smithereens with her "Notes" at the end of this book.
It takes courage to talk about something that most of us have no clue it even exists, or are desperately trying to ignore. It also takes tremendous courage to actually do something about it, to put a stop to it. Even if it starts with making it the plot of a novel, so as to raise public awareness. And the author has gone the extra mile to provide help where she can, as she explained at the end of this novel.
This is one series that will stay long in my mind and heart, and I haven't read it all yet.
November 8, 2017
Totally loving this series , it just keeps getting better . Love how this one lets us have a look at Cara’s troubled past whilst tying it in with Matt and the present day . Easy 5 stars with my thanks to tbc reviewers for my chance to read . Can’t wait to read number 5 😍
November 6, 2017
Two-haiku review:
Rourke retraces route
That Cara took as a teen
Serial rapist
Outstanding series
Eagerly awaiting next
Care for characters
Rourke retraces route
That Cara took as a teen
Serial rapist
Outstanding series
Eagerly awaiting next
Care for characters
September 26, 2017
I love, love love this series and have just re-read the first 3 before embarking on this one!
A fascinating look at Cara's past and what led her to become the force that she is today - Matt is as troubled as ever with his conflict around the need for Cara's arrest and his wish for her freedom ... the plot is exciting, the characters are, as always intricate and the writing is sublime ... I'd love for the whole series to be on the big screen and am waiting impatiently for book 5!
A fascinating look at Cara's past and what led her to become the force that she is today - Matt is as troubled as ever with his conflict around the need for Cara's arrest and his wish for her freedom ... the plot is exciting, the characters are, as always intricate and the writing is sublime ... I'd love for the whole series to be on the big screen and am waiting impatiently for book 5!
October 30, 2016
I was provided with a review copy of Bitter Moon via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion of the book.
Cara's past was fraught with abuse and violence. After two years in a juvenile facility, 14 year old Cara is released to a group home and hoping to be safe from IT. A name change to Eden Ballard unfortunately did not help her anonymity, as the problems start immediately in her school. What can Cara do to stay away from the monsters?
Matthew Roarke has voluntarily left the FBI in the weeks after Cara becomes a fugitive. A phone call from a disgruntled sheriff has prompted Roarke to follow Cara's path at the age of 14, in the hopes of understanding her motivations in both the past and the present. As he shadows her steps, will Roarke finally put the pieces together?
Bitter Moon delves deeply into the background of Cara, getting to the essential core as to what motivates her in the present. This book gives concrete evidence to explain how Cara is able to sense evil in people, especially considering everything that she saw and faced as a youngster. Having Roarke look back into Cara's past was an interesting way of keeping their unique relationship in the present, despite the fact that Cara appears only as a series of flashbacks. Readers new to the series should absolutely start from the beginning, as each book builds upon the foundation of the previous one. I highly recommend this book to readers who like FBI thrillers and I look forward to reading more about Roarke and Cara in the future.
Cara's past was fraught with abuse and violence. After two years in a juvenile facility, 14 year old Cara is released to a group home and hoping to be safe from IT. A name change to Eden Ballard unfortunately did not help her anonymity, as the problems start immediately in her school. What can Cara do to stay away from the monsters?
Matthew Roarke has voluntarily left the FBI in the weeks after Cara becomes a fugitive. A phone call from a disgruntled sheriff has prompted Roarke to follow Cara's path at the age of 14, in the hopes of understanding her motivations in both the past and the present. As he shadows her steps, will Roarke finally put the pieces together?
Bitter Moon delves deeply into the background of Cara, getting to the essential core as to what motivates her in the present. This book gives concrete evidence to explain how Cara is able to sense evil in people, especially considering everything that she saw and faced as a youngster. Having Roarke look back into Cara's past was an interesting way of keeping their unique relationship in the present, despite the fact that Cara appears only as a series of flashbacks. Readers new to the series should absolutely start from the beginning, as each book builds upon the foundation of the previous one. I highly recommend this book to readers who like FBI thrillers and I look forward to reading more about Roarke and Cara in the future.
October 31, 2016
"Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing." (John Stuart Mill)
Wow -- another great book in this amazing series! This takes the reader back to where it all began with Cara and why she does what she does. These must be read in order to fully appreciate the development of the character of Cara. Roarke is retracing the period of time Cara spent in Las Piedras 14 years before the current events and manhunt featured in books one through three. Cara had her choice -- to be afraid of the wolf or to become the wolf. She became the wolf.
Totally absorbing and fast paced as the narrative shifts between Cara in the past and Roarke in the present. Basically Roarke is channeling Cara as he investigates the deaths of two young girls in the town all those years ago. Although the repetition of the evil of "It" gets a little tiresome, I found it only a minor annoyance. Even though I knew "who" because I read so many books in this genre, I found the process quite a thrill ride.
I love this series and I will be waiting eagerly for book #5. The author is writing fiction, yes, but she is quite passionate about the need to stop abuse and neglect of children in the social services programs. She's an advocate of those organizations that work with children and teens and her plea for all to open their eyes and help them.
Wow -- another great book in this amazing series! This takes the reader back to where it all began with Cara and why she does what she does. These must be read in order to fully appreciate the development of the character of Cara. Roarke is retracing the period of time Cara spent in Las Piedras 14 years before the current events and manhunt featured in books one through three. Cara had her choice -- to be afraid of the wolf or to become the wolf. She became the wolf.
Totally absorbing and fast paced as the narrative shifts between Cara in the past and Roarke in the present. Basically Roarke is channeling Cara as he investigates the deaths of two young girls in the town all those years ago. Although the repetition of the evil of "It" gets a little tiresome, I found it only a minor annoyance. Even though I knew "who" because I read so many books in this genre, I found the process quite a thrill ride.
I love this series and I will be waiting eagerly for book #5. The author is writing fiction, yes, but she is quite passionate about the need to stop abuse and neglect of children in the social services programs. She's an advocate of those organizations that work with children and teens and her plea for all to open their eyes and help them.
November 13, 2017
Another lovingly crafted tome in the series, another can't-put-it-down book!
Roarke is taking a bit of time out from his career to think things over. Despite his best efforts, Cara is still under his skin and he is drawn into a case anyway, even whilst being "off the books" finds himself delving into Cara's early life, when she was being bounced from the juvenile justice system into a variety of foster homes. So interesting reading the descriptions of the people she came across - some in her corner and some very clearly not.
I found this book fascinating and it filled in a lot of background information. Sometimes, in some of the earlier books, I wondered just how someone as young as Cara could manage to do and/or also have the skills for the things that she does. This book goes a long way to explaining this. I loved that the story was written from both Cara and Roarke's perspectives - hers in the past, his in the present, and it worked so perfectly.
I am giving this one 4.5 stars, loved it, and can't wait to read the next one, I NEED to know what happens next! Yes, I have gotten completely emotionally involved :)
I voluntarily reviewed this book and all opinions expressed are my own. Thank you to THE Book Club.
Roarke is taking a bit of time out from his career to think things over. Despite his best efforts, Cara is still under his skin and he is drawn into a case anyway, even whilst being "off the books" finds himself delving into Cara's early life, when she was being bounced from the juvenile justice system into a variety of foster homes. So interesting reading the descriptions of the people she came across - some in her corner and some very clearly not.
I found this book fascinating and it filled in a lot of background information. Sometimes, in some of the earlier books, I wondered just how someone as young as Cara could manage to do and/or also have the skills for the things that she does. This book goes a long way to explaining this. I loved that the story was written from both Cara and Roarke's perspectives - hers in the past, his in the present, and it worked so perfectly.
I am giving this one 4.5 stars, loved it, and can't wait to read the next one, I NEED to know what happens next! Yes, I have gotten completely emotionally involved :)
I voluntarily reviewed this book and all opinions expressed are my own. Thank you to THE Book Club.
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